Best Travel Credit Cards 2019 ($625+ in Travel)

Finding the best travel credit cards in 2019 can be very lucrative. Banks are competing by offering bonuses of $600+ on several products including the Chase Sapphire Preferredwhich is my number one travel credit card. It offers a bonus easily worth $625+ in travel and 2x points per $1 on dining and travel purchases which makes it one of the best travel credit card promotions. You can also maximize your everyday spending and travel by choosing one of the best credit cards for travel rewards.

Below I'm offering my expert review of the best travel rewards credit cards of 2019. Read on for rewards, airlines, business, cash back and other top travel credit card deals.

Best Travel Credit Card 2019: Chase Sapphire Preferred

In addition to its benefits, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a current sign-up bonus of 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth at least $625 in award travel redemptions) after spending $4,000 in 3 months.

If you're not loyal to a specific hotel or airline, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel rewards credit cards 2019 for flexible travelers.

Picking the best travel credit card in 2019 is important to unlocking the right travel rewards.

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Here are a few of the highlights of the Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits:

Earn Ultimate Rewards points on every purchase

2 points for travel & dining

1 point on everything else

Reward points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel

Points can be transferred on a 1:1 basis to many of the leading airline & hotel partners

Primary Rental Car CDW Coverage

Annual Fee of $95 is waived for the first year

The icing on the cake: the Chase Sapphire Preferred was also listed as the ''Best Credit Card for Flexible Travel Redemption''- Kiplinger's Personal Finance, June 2018. This is because Ultimate Rewards points are some of the most valuable in the travel credit card marketplace. And as long as you keep your Chase Sapphire Preferred active, your Ultimate Rewards points will not expire.

They can be redeemed through the Chase travel portal for nearly any method of travel including air, taxi, cruise, rental cars, or hotel stays. 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points is worth $625 in travel through Chase's travel portal.

But you can get even more value by transferring them to a hotel or airline loyalty program. Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners include Southwest, United, Hyatt, and Marriott to name a few. Having the ability to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points out to travel partners gives you ultimate flexibility and it's what sets the Chase Sapphire Preferred apart from its competition and also makes it the best Chase credit card.

Best Flat Rate Travel Credit Card Capital One Venture

TheCapital One Venture cardcomes with a bonus of 50,000 miles or $500 in travel.

By earning 2x miles on purchases the Capital One Venture makes it easy to earn and redeem miles. However, you can't transfer your points to a transfer partner like the Sapphire Preferred (until now).

The Capital One Venture Card earns 2x miles on all purchases, and you can redeem those miles in two ways: as a statement credit towardstravel-related purchases, or to book travel through Capital One. Either way, your miles are worth 1 cent each, making for an overall redemption rate of 2%.

Until very recently, only the premium rewards cards waived the TSA PreCheck application fee. Now, travel rewards cards with an annual near the $100 range now waive the application fee.

One of these cards to offer this new travel credit card benefit is the Capital One Venture.

This flat-rate rewards card earns 2x points per $1 spent on every purchase. For Hotels.com purchases, you earn 10 points per $1. And, your 11th Hotels.com night is free when you pay for the first ten nights.

Best Premium Travel Credit Card 2019: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Unfortunately, Chase is devaluing some of the Sapphire Reserves benefits in the next coming months, which makes the Sapphire Preferred even more desirable especially since you most likely can only get one of the Sapphire products now.

But if the sky is your second home or you really like to travel, then you might be in need of a "premium" travel credit card that has a high annual fee ($450) but also comes with lots of travel perks. Hands down, one of thebest of the premium travel credit cardsis the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It's the Sapphire Preferred's (recommendation #1) big brother and was rolled out in the summer of 2016.

Earn 3 points on travel and dining

Earn 1 point on all other purchases

Points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed for award travel

Points can be transferred on 1:1 basis to several airline & hotel loyalty programs

$300 annual travel credit

TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fee is reimbursed

Primary Rental Car CDW Coverage

Complimentary Priority Pass Lounge Access

Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best travel credit cards 2019

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If you are seeking the best travel rewards credit card benefits, this is where the value of the Sapphire Reserve lies. The $450 annual fee seems really steep, but with a $300 travel credit that can be used to cover any travel expense and not just checked bags or in-flight purchases, the true annual fee is more to the tune of $150. That's only $55 more than the Sapphire Preferred. The Sapphire Reserve is also a great compliment to the Ink Preferred which is one of the best Chase business credit cards.

One downside is that the sign-up bonus of 50,000 points after spending $4,000 is the same offer as the cheaper Sapphire Preferred.

The Hilton Honors Ascend from American Express does an excellent job of combining Hilton hotel rewards with air travel rewards.

When it comes to Hilton Honors benefits, this hotel credit card comes stacked with these travel benefits:

New cardholders earn up to 100,000 bonus Hilton Honors points

Earn 12x points on all Hilton purchases

Earn 6x points at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations

Free weekend night award after spending $15,000 in annual purchases

Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status

10 free Priority Pass Select passes every year

Cell phone protection

No foreign transaction fee

The biggest immediate draw to the Hilton Ascend is the opportunity to earn 100,000 bonus points. You will earn your first 75,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months. After spending another $1,000 within the first six months, you will get the final 25,000 bonus point bonus.

With Hilton rewards nights starting at 5,000 points, the 100,000 point bonus is worth up to 20 free nights. Don't forget that as a Hilton Honors Gold member, every 5th night is free on 5+ night award stays.

Best Travel Credit Card to Purchase Flights: Platinum Card from American Express

You might think that an airline credit card might take the prize for purchasing flights. Actually, the title belongs to the Platinum Card from American Express because it earns twice the industry average on ticket purchases.

The primary reason why the Amex Platinum is the best travel credit card for airline purchases is that it earns 5x Membership Rewards points on airline flights booked directly from an airline or AmexTravel.com. Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for award flights or transferred to your frequent flyer account on a 1:1 basis. In most cases, transferring your points to the airline is the more valuable redemption option.

If the 5x purchases rewards and 1:1 point transfers aren't enough, the Platinum Card travel credit card also offers these annual air travel benefits:

$200 annual air travel credit

Complimentary airport lounge access to four lounge networks

Global Entry application fee reimbursement

Some of the additional travel benefits you can enjoy too include $200 in Uber credits, special hotel privileges, and unlimited Boingo wifi hotspot access.

Finally, new cardmembers can also earn 60,000 bonus Membership Rewards points worth $600 in award travel after spending $5,000 in the first three months. These bonus points are eligible for 1:1 point transfers as well and worth notably more than $600 in award travel.

Best No-Fee Travel Credit Card 2019: Wells Fargo Propel

TheWells Fargo Propel American Express® Carddoesn't charge an annual fee or foreign transaction fee. You have the opportunity to earn up to 3x points on purchases, plus your points can be redeemed for travel or cash rewards.

You don't have to already be a Wells Fargo customer to qualify. This travel credit card is available to current Wells Fargo customers as well as non-Wells Fargo customers.

30,000 Point Welcome Bonus

New cardholders have the opportunity to earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months. These points have a cash redemption value of $300.

Wells Fargo is also offering an introductory APR for new cardholders.

Earn Up To 3x Points on Purchases

You have the opportunity to earn unlimited 3x points per $1 on the following purchases:

Travel

Dining

Gas stations

Streaming services

All non-bonus purchases will earn an unlimited 1x reward point per $1 spent.

Wells Fargo has done an excellent job of focusing on four of the most common credit card purchases to earn 3x bonus points on.

Flexible Redemption Options

There are four different redemption options for your rewards points:

Award travel

Cashback

Gift cards

Charity donations

Award travel is the most valuable redemption option. Your points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed for award travel on the Wells Fargo travel portal. If you make at least $50,000 in annual card purchases, each point is worth 1.75 cents when redeemed for travel.

For the three non-travel redemption options, each rewards point is only worth 1 cent each.

At this time, you cannot transfer rewards points directly to airline or hotel loyalty accounts.

Additional Card Benefits

The revamped Propel Card comes with many additional card benefits that you will expect from other Wells Fargo and American Express credit cards.

Cell phone protection (up to $600 per claim)

Secondary rental car collision damage waiver protection

Exclusive access to American Express ticket presales and events

Special retail shopping discounts

Note that to qualify for the Wells Fargo cell phone protection benefit, you will need to pay your monthly phone bill with theWells Fargo Propel Card.

Best Chip & Pin Travel Credit Card 2019: Barclays Arrival Plus

Despite all the travel credit cards for rewards in your wallet having an embedded EMV chip, they still might not work at select self-pay machines across the globe that require a pin number to be entered like when you withdraw cash from an ATM machine.

You can jump to the best travel credit cards 2019 here:

Overall Best Travel Credit Card:Chase Sapphire Preferred

Best Premium Travel Credit Card: Sapphire Reserve

No Annual Fee Rewards Travel Card: Wells Fargo Propel

Chip & Pin Travel Rewards Card: Barclays Arrival Plus

Best Hotel Rewards Credit Card: Hilton Honors Ascend

FAQS:

Best Credit Card For International Travel

If you want to maximize your travel credit card benefits while traveling the globe, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is thebest credit cards for international travel. In addition to offering 2X points on travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, the Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you to transfer points to 11 airline and hotel travel partners on a 1:1 basis.

As the premier international travel credit cards on the market, you will also benefit from 25% more in travel redemption. When you redeem points for airfare through the online Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal, you will receive a redemption bonus of 25 percent, which creates a valuation of 1.25 cents per mile.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card offers a redemption bonus of 25 percent when you redeem points for airfare through the online Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal, creating a valuation of 1.25 cents per mile. Whether you are looking to earn more points towards airline travel or hotel stays, this card offers the best of both worlds. The flexibility that the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers is simply unparalleled by any other international travel credit card.

Best Credit Card for Roadside Assistance

If you’ve ever been in the breakdown lane because of a sudden automobile emergency, you know how essential roadside assistance is. Having thebest credit card for roadside assistance can mean the difference of waiting several hours for a tow truck, or mere minutes for a jumpstart. If you don’t want to find yourself in the former predicament, make sure you’re covered with an American Express credit card.

American Express is known for being quite liberal with roadside assistance because they don’t set a price limit. Whether you need a car tow, jumpstart, tire change, gas delivery, or lockout service, American Express will dispatch roadside assistance to your location. As an American Express cardholder, you are entitled to free assistance up to four times a year.

In order to qualify for American Express Premium Roadside Assistance, you will need one of the following: the Platinum Card from American Express, the Business Platinum® Card, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, the Delta Reserve Credit Card, the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card, or the Business Gold Rewards Card. While your car insurance may offer similar benefits, the fact that your American Express credit card already includes these benefits will save you money, and keep you safe on the road.

Best Credit Card for Travel Insurance

When booking a flight online, it’s common to be asked if you want to add travel protection to your order. Of course, you want to be covered should you suddenly come down with the flu and need to cancel plans, but did you know you might already be insured? Some credit cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card, come with travel insurance as a cardholder benefit.

For yourself and immediate family members, travel accident insurance is a type of travel insurance that consists of two benefit types. One is dedicated to common carrier travel accidents, while the other one serves as 24-hour insurance, providing coverage for accidental death, or a combined loss of speech, sight or hearing on a covered trip. As long as part of a covered trip is purchased with your Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card benefits, you will have access to these insurance benefits.

Additional benefits with your Chase card include trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay, and lost luggage insurance, and trip delay reimbursement. Should your flight ever be delayed for more than 12 hours, canceled, or should the airline lose your luggage for more than 6 hours, rest assured that Chase has you covered.

Best Credit Card for Renting a Car

If you have rented a car, in addition to choosing the type of vehicle you wish to rent, you know you will have to choose whether or not to add collision damage insurance. While paying more for insurance provides peace-of-mind, you may not need it. With one of the best travel credit cards for rentals, you’re already insured for car rentals, both domestically and overseas. If your car rental undergoes damage due to collision or theft, you will be covered under credit card's benefits without having to file a claim with another source of insurance.

The next time you find yourself at the rental counter, say no to the rental company’s collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver and pay for the rental with your travel credit card that includes CDW. Coverage with your qualifying travel credit card means that you can be reimbursed for any related towing charges if your car is towed and that you will be provided reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage.

Best Travel Rewards Cards for Lower Credit Scores

Sometimes, making the choice between the best travel rewards credit cards 2019 is one that accrues points or one that accrues miles. But this isn’t the only consideration when it comes to the best travel rewards cards. Many of these travel rewards cards require potential cardholders to be in good financial standing, which includes solid credit scores and proven histories of on-time payments and responsible card management. Typically, cardholders who hold a credit score of 650 or less are declined from advantageous travel rewards cards, and while it can take some time to build up credit, it’s best not to get discouraged. There are steps you can take to revive your credit score that are easier to achieve than you think.

Get a free copy of your credit report. It’s hard to improve your credit score when you’ve never seen it. Sites like AnnualCreditReport.com provide you with a free copy so you can analyze areas of opportunity.

Pay on time. It sounds simple, but every missed payment is a ding on your credit score. Rectify this by getting a secured card that requires you to put down a cash deposit that you use and pay off each month. Check with your local bank to see if they have a card like this so you can manage your finances more easily and conveniently.

Become an additional cardholder on a family member’s or spouse’s credit card. As long as they have good credit, you stand to inherit their score which can vastly increase your score. Just be responsible and pay on time because your fiscal actions impact their account.

How to Maximize Your Travel Rewards

When it comes to maximizing travel rewards, your decision should be based on your most frequently swiped credit card. If you mostly use a travel credit card for flight hotel redemptions, it’s best to retain the flexibility that a transferrable rewards program offers like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards. Alternatively, if you want to save points to use exclusively for flights and flight upgrades, and are looking to obtain elite status, the Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express should be your premier choice. Once you decide which card you want to maximize points with, there is a little-known secret you can capitalize on to maximize rewards.

It’s something we all do—online shopping. Oftentimes, you’ll be browsing through your favorite online retailer or on Amazon, and a few clicks later, your items are en route. However, if you shop retail through one of the online rewards portals on your credit card, you’ll receive points or miles for every dollar you spend. You can still visit the same website, but with this one trick of clicking through the credit card rewards portal, you’ll benefit from even more points or miles than if you visited the retailer website directly.

Which Banks Offer Travel Rewards & Credit Cards?

Banking options are becoming increasingly hard to choose from. From cash back sign up offers to various rewards, consumers have their pick of advantages. For those with travel in mind, there is no better banking partner than Chase. The new Chase Sapphire Banking option, a replacement for Premier Platinum Checking offer, provides a bonus ofUltimate Rewards points to new customers who qualify. You do have to hold a Sapphire credit card to qualify.

Another beneficial banking credit card is the no annual fee Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card. In addition to 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months, you will earn 3X points on popular categories like eating out, ordering in, at gas stations, during rideshares, for travel bookings, and for hotel stays. Every point earned can be redeemed for travel rewards, making Wells Fargo an attractive offer for bankers with a penchant for flying.

How to Choose your Travel Credit Card

While Chase’s premier travel credit card has popularized mile-accruing credit cards more than ever, it’s not the only option to choose from. There are equally superb credit cards for hotel rewards and business rewards. As a consumer, the best way to decide which card is right is to decide what you value most between airfare and hotel stays. Below are a few examples of travel credit cards worth looking into.

The American Express Delta SkyMiles Credit Card

The Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express helps you earn SkyMiles and SkyMiles. If you fly Delta, this card offers benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding, as well as a quicker way to earning elite status. Miles do not expire as long as you leave your account open so you can accrue miles for years before cashing in, which could equate to a first-class roundtrip airfare to Asia, or beyond.

The American Express Business Gold Rewards® Credit Card

This American Express credit card for small business owners is the perfect card for business owners looking to benefit from their purchases. There is no annual fee for the primary cardholder for the first year of opening the card, and there is no limit on the number of employees that can be added to the card. Upon account opening, users will receive 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $5,000 in qualifying purchases within the first 3 months of becoming a Business Gold Rewards® member. Points can be used towards travel rewards such as airfare and hotels. Additionally, the cardholder can choose from one of five categories where they will earn three points per dollar.

The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card

Despite the recent merging between Marriott and SPG, the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express still remains a fierce competitor in the world of hotel rewards cards. In addition to the 75,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months, new cardholders can earn 6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels, plus 2 points on all other eligible purchases. There are no foreign transaction fees, and each year of keeping the account open, cardholders will receive one free night award that can be redeemed at a level at or under 35,000 points.

Other Travel Credit Card Benefits

While sign up offers and no annual fees for the first year of opening an account are enticing enough on their own to attract new users, there are other, sometimes overlooked benefits that often accompany travel cards. Below is a list of less talked about benefits that go with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card, which is number one travel credit card on this list.

Trip Cancellation Insurance (Up To $10,000 Per Trip)

Having a flight canceled on you is both frustrating and stressful. To ease the burden, Chase covers you with trip cancellation insurance for up to $10,000 per trip. Examples of this scenario at play include sickness and weather conditions. As part of the $10,000 you are eligible to receive, you will be reimbursed for prepaid, non-refundable plane tickets, hotel stays, and tours. Not only does this coverage benefit you, but it is also available to a travel companion or immediate family member, as long as the expenses are paid for with your Sapphire Preferred Credit Card.

Baggage Delay Insurance (Up To $500 Per Trip)

If you’ve ever been stuck at baggage claim watching the same suitcase go round and round, only to realize your bag isn’t coming, Chase has you covered. If your checked baggage is delayed by more than 6 hours, you will be reimbursed $100 per day for up to 5 days for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing. As long as you fill out a baggage delay report and keep the receipts from your purchases, you’ll be eligible for the reimbursement.

Trip Delay Reimbursement (Up To $500 Per Ticket)

It would be incredible if every flight left on time and you arrived to your destination with no hassle. However, sometimes the travel gods have other plans. In instances where your flight is delayed more than 12 hours, Chase will provide up to $500 per ticket of non-reimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging.

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Car rentals can be stressful, especially if you’re in a foreign country. There’s always a risk of an accident or theft, which is why Chase provides the best type of insurance for both potential circumstances. If your car rental undergoes damage due to collision or theft, you will be covered under Chase without having to file a claim with another source of insurance. As long you pay for the rental with your Chase card, you can benefit from this gratuitous policy.